Ouroboros Spine uvlakuun ⋳

There was a wistful sorrow woven into the duck’s tone, a quiet mourning for the moonwolves and all they once were; now reduced to ash. Agana felt the weight of it settle deep in her chest, the sting of unshed tears pressing at the corners of her eyes. She wished she could close the distance between them, to hold her, to reclaim the time they had lost. But the years stood like an unyielding river between them, impossible to cross.

"I'm sorry," she murmured at last, her voice scarcely more than a breath. Her tail curled tightly around her, a futile attempt to ground herself. There was more she wanted to say, more she wanted to do; but she could not.

And when the moonwoman finally inquired about her thoughts, it shattered something within her. Agana lowered her gaze, drawing in a steadying breath. Then, she turned her head away, unwilling; unable to meet her eyes.

"Nothing," she whispered, though the tremor in her voice betrayed her. Her nose twitched, her resolve wavered. "I just missed you." A single tear slipped down, searing against her flushed cheek. At last, she turned back to Kukutux, forcing a small, fragile smile.

I missed us.